Saturday, September 17, 2005

Durkan blames unionists

Mark Durkan today accused unionist political leaders of "almost soliciting" the loyalist violence of a week ago.The rhetoric used the Rev Ian Paisley and Sir Reg Empey ahead of last Saturday’s contentious Orange Parade in Belfast was heavily condemned by SDLP leader Mark Durkan.And he said it appeared the loyalist paramilitary tail was now almost wagging the unionist dog.Durkan blasted: "Effectively the signal they sent to people was ‘do your worst and we won’t blame you, do your worst and we will blame the police."Do your worst and we will blame the Parades Commission and we will blame the Secretary of State’."Of course that is exactly what they have done since."Mr Durkan, speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Inside Politics programme, said the leaders of the two unionist parties had allowed the loyalist paramilitaries to take the lead over policing and parades."It seems as though the whip hand in unionist politics actually lies with the paramilitaries who showed their real nature last weekend," he said.He dismissed the DUP call for a “root and branch” review of the Parades Commission – what the party really wanted was its abolition, he said.Mr Durkan said ahead of the re-routed Whiterock parade UUP leader Sir Reg Empey had not, through the terms he had used, made his position clear."It was, I believe, the rhetoric used by himself and Ian Paisley, even in advance of last weekend, that almost solicited the sort of violence we had," Mr Durkan added.I agree 100 per cent with Mr Durkan. At a time when unionist leaders nedded to stand up and be counted, needed to stand up and show real leadership, they instead decided to join in with the rest of the mob, albeit in a very subtle manner.The DUP and the UUP acted disgracefully and it was like a mirror image of the harassment Catholics suffered in the past in Ireland's north.The people of Ireland, Britain and the greater world saw last week what unionism has to offer for the people of this island and it tells us, I think, a very important message - it's time to have a United Ireland.